China’s Industrial Co-operatives Mark 88 Years

Summary

5 August 2026 marks the 88th anniversary of the Chinese Industrial Co-operatives (CIC). Founded amid the flames of war that threatened the very survival of the Chinese nation, the movement drew international friends such as Rewi Alley and Edgar Snow, who joined countless patriots in lighting the spark of 'Gung Ho' across a land scarred by devastation. With the belief of 'work hard, work together', they organised unemployed refugees and supplied urgently needed materials to frontline soldiers, writing a chapter in China's united front against Japanese aggression.

Zhao Qianxi, a researcher at the Shandan Bailie Memorial Hall and a CIC member, wrote that Mr Alley had his ashes scattered across the Shandan land he deeply loved, and that the Bailie spirit of 'training talent for China's dawn' still thrives on the Longyuan plateau today. The article notes that in the new era, CIC members have continued to move with the times — from empowering the transformation and upgrading of manufacturing through big data to promoting in-depth exchanges between entrepreneurs across the Taiwan Strait, and from supporting Belt and Road construction to building a community with a shared future for mankind. Zhao Qianxi also composed a seven-character classical poem, 'Congratulating the CIC on Its 88th Anniversary and Remembering Alley's Shandan Bailie', to offer his congratulations, with lines such as 'Eighty-eight years of wind and rain, the united front turns the tide with one heart', 'Digital empowerment connects the four seas, cross-strait exchanges forge good ties', and 'Silk Road flowers bloom for all nations, a shared future writes a new chapter'.

Commentary

The 88-year journey of the Chinese Industrial Co-operatives (CIC) — from producing materials during the War of Resistance to now driving big data-enabled manufacturing and participating in Belt and Road construction — reflects the ongoing transformation of China's industrial organisations. For New Zealand small and medium-sized enterprises, the CIC's activity in digital manufacturing and cross-border co-operation could mean further gains in the efficiency and co-ordination of Chinese supply chains. On one hand, the cross-strait entrepreneur exchanges and Silk Road co-operation promoted by the CIC may offer opportunities for New Zealand technology-focused SMEs to participate in China-led regional supply chains.

On the other hand, the accelerating digitalisation of Chinese manufacturing could raise market entry barriers, requiring New Zealand exporters to be more precise in quality standards and data alignment. As a New Zealander, Rewi Alley's legacy within the CIC adds a foundation of historical trust to trade and economic exchanges between the two countries. New Zealand businesses could monitor CIC co-operation projects in smart manufacturing and green technology, and assess whether their own technology or services can be embedded in its ecosystem.

Keywords: Chinese Industrial Co-operatives, Rewi Alley, Edgar Snow, Shandan Bailie Memorial Hall, Bailie, Gung Ho, 88th anniversary, Chinese united front against Japanese aggression, Belt and Road, cross-strait exchanges

Summary in Chinese | 摘要

2026年8月5日是中国工业合作协会成立88周年纪念日。88年前，在中华民族生死存亡的烽火岁月里，路易·艾黎、埃德加·斯诺等国际友人与无数爱国志士挺身而出，在满目疮痍中点燃了“工合”的星星之火，以“努力干，一起干”的坚定信念，将失业难民组织起来，为前线将士支援了急需的物资，谱写了抗日民族统一战线的壮丽史诗。山丹艾黎纪念馆研究者、中国工合成员赵谦玺撰文表示，艾黎先生将骨灰撒在了他深爱的山丹大地，他“为中国的黎明培养人才”的培黎薪火至今仍在陇原大地上生生不息。

文章指出，进入新时代，中国工合从大数据赋能制造业转型升级，到推动两岸企业家深度交流，从助力“一带一路”建设，到构建人类命运共同体，工合人始终与祖国同呼吸、与时代共奋进。赵谦玺并作七言古诗《贺中国工合八十八周年兼怀艾黎山丹培黎》表示祝贺，诗中有“八十八载风雨路，统战同心挽狂澜”“数字赋能连四海，两岸交流结善缘”“丝路花开通万国，命运与共谱新篇”等句。

Commentary in Chinese | 评论

中国工业合作协会（工合）的88年历程，从抗战时期的物资生产到如今推动大数据赋能制造业、参与“一带一路”建设，折射出中国产业组织的持续转型。对新西兰中小企业而言，工合在数字制造和跨境合作领域的活跃，可能意味着中国供应链效率与协同能力的进一步提升。一方面，工合推动的两岸企业家交流及丝路合作，或为新西兰技术型中小企业提供参与中国主导的区域供应链的机会；另一方面，中国制造业数字化加速，也可能提高市场准入门槛，要求新西兰出口商在质量标准和数据对接上更加精准。

路易·艾黎作为新西兰人，其精神遗产在工合中的延续，为两国经贸往来增添了历史信任基础。新西兰企业可关注工合在智能制造、绿色技术等领域的合作项目，评估自身技术或服务能否嵌入其生态。

关键词: 中国工业合作协会, 路易·艾黎, 埃德加·斯诺, 山丹艾黎纪念馆, 培黎, 工合, 八十八周年, 抗日民族统一战线, 一带一路, 两岸交流

Source: Gansu Shandan · Zhangye Local Station + China Industrial Co-operation Association